The Worst Idea Of All Time - HOSTING 3: 07 The Prestige

Episode Date: March 17, 2020

Strawberry fields forever, plans for the ultimate wedding and a sad farewell. All good things must come to and end and just so, all good hosts must speed their guests safe to home. In this final episode, Guy and Carlo learn that friendship conquers all, no matter the cost, no matter the casualties. Keep on hosting, keep on riding, keep on living, baby. Support us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TWIOATCatch up on Hosting on its own stream here: (iTunes) (RSS) (Web Player) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Music Music Well it's been a huge week. Welcome along to Hosting, a podcast all about hosting and guesting. I'm Guy Montgomery. And I'm Carl O'Ritchie. And we are in New York City. It's a sad day as well, isn't it, Guy?

Because it is my last day here in New York City. It is. And we've had a really good time, I think. We've healed some old wounds. We have. And we've grown closer together. And, you know, I feel like we've seen a pretty good chunk of the big apple. Oh, absolutely.

We've taken a big bite out of that apple, I would say. You know, we've learned a lot. We've seen a lot. We've done a lot. It's quite a melancholy day today we went and went back to central park this time to check out strawberry fields yes the john lennon memorial and it was it was a very sobering afternoon wasn't it guy to be out there in strawberry fields i think yeah, I mean, I'm sort of only just discovering the Beatles, but you are a pretty big fan. And, you know, the idea that someone like John Lennon,

his life could end, you know, due to just needless, pointless violence. Exactly, yeah. It's horrible. It does make you think when you go to somewhere like Strawberry Fields and you think about the impact that Lennon had on the world. And this is regardless of the kind of person he was. From all accounts, he seemed like a pretty, in some ways, not a great person,

but still advocated a lot of very noble ideas and this quest for peace and it is sad when you think that a life like that that can have such impact can be brought to such a solid and sudden and violent end it really makes you appreciate just the horrible things that people can do to other other people you know yeah it's uh It can be pretty hard to keep believing in one another if you slow down and think about stuff like that for too long. That's right. I mean, the horrors that mankind, that humanity is able to visit upon itself,

that's the real tragedy, isn't it? The people, they aren't looking out for each other. They aren't helping each other. The people have their own selfish motivations. And, yeah, everyone has erred before, but that doesn't mean that you can't work on improving yourself, you know, from whatever mistake you might have made. And the planet, you know.

That's it. Wow. Yeah, it was a sobering afternoon. And we sat and we listened to the album Abbey Road from start to finish. And it was a – She had a few tears. We did. Drank a few beers.

Yeah. And I think that's kind of a fitting way to bring down a trip. Yeah, I always find at the end of a trip, there's quite a beautiful melancholy that sort of comes over you as you reflect on the experiences of the trip. You look ahead to what lies immediately in your future and it's quite a nice time to sort of audit or do a stock take of your own emotional state and things that you might want for yourself

in the coming weeks or months or years. And it does feel like the ending of a chapter. Certainly. But not the closing of a book. No, no. I think in many ways this is just the beginning of what will be more exciting times, more adventures. Because certainly, I came over here to New York not expecting that our relationship would heal in this way. And I think that has

added to the melancholia as you as you describe it you know it's it's it's a catharsis in a sense you know yeah and it's not to say that we haven't had some laughs today I mean we've had some big we've had some some huge laughs you know and not just us as well no well um you know i guess it is probably worth mentioning um that the big prank has had has had resolution yeah it's uh how you might say it's come off in a big way yes so uh the whole family gathered gathered today in Mark and Fiona's household. That's right. We got them around. I mean, what was once Mark and Fiona's house?

I mean, it's not recognisable to any of them now. Oh, no, no. Certainly, it's in the same physical space. Yes, it's in the same patch of air up there in the sky, but a wholly different shape and feel. Absolutely. It was exciting. We had them gathered all there

and you know with a few winks and nudges we all offered them a cocktail which needless to say they didn't take us up on did they guy getting a bit clearly yeah yeah and that's that is kind of it would have been nice to see him go down and come back up once more but i suppose it's in the best interest of tying up all the lucians before you leave you know it would have been pretty pretty selfish of me to take all the credit for the prank when they woke up in a day or two it's time and and you know you're not even there to see the smiles on their faces it would have been sad for me to miss the smiles because that's the thing that really will stick with me from the prank today is because Guy and I took that moment with the family gathered around Fiona and Mark had finally been reunited and discovered the the lost engagement ring and guy and i thought this is the time to

tell them all that this has been a massive prank yeah and there was a shocked silence for what would you say guy two three minutes absolutely and uh a few confused looks on faces but just very slowly you just started to see the the look of shock start to crack and break into smiles first then titters giggles and eventually just the whole room it was electric with it was a symphony of laughter i mean you know everyone in the room june and murtaugh it was honestly it was um it was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life and i think i feel confident to tell you this now there were times this week when i thought uh we might not pull it off or they might not get it or times where i like it's embarrassing to say knowing it came off exactly as it should but i doubted myself guy and i think you're you're totally

absolutely fine to do it i mean i remember thinking even early on in the piece after we had just mercilessly beaten the absolute living out of mark not long before some other thugs came along and gave him another good kicking as well. Exactly. And after that moment, I remember the looks on the faces of the family that night as they were sitting worried on their way to the emergency room. I remember thinking, maybe they aren't getting it. You know, like there was – I had my own doubts too, guys. There's been moments in this week where we've really walked the razor's edge. Absolutely.

I mean, when Mark found out it was us, he got a good tickle out of that. Yeah, you could see the whole cast kind of just vibrating with his laughter, which were mostly trapped inside. Well, I mean, of course. He can't move his jaw. And he must have been pretty badly concussed because when we asked him, he didn't seem to remember anyone else coming along.

But, you know, you've got to imagine there were definitely some other people because, I mean, the state he was left in, you know, no person could do that to another. No, no. There's no way. No way. But wasn't he stoked?

And the whole family, God, the energy in the room, Guy, was incredible. Really just, you know, Murtagh, June, the whole crew, they were just really getting a real kick out of the prank. They got us to go back through different stages. You know, we had to talk about going down to the bodega, buying the gloves, buying the arsenic, buying the cyanide, dusting for fingerprints, the cameras. I mean, really, when you unravel it and you put it all in front of them,

I think they were overwhelmed by how much trouble we'd gone to. Oh, I mean, June wouldn't let it drop for a long time. She kept saying, but the nails, the nails were dated. They were dated to a time much longer before. That's the satisfying stuff. That's it. She said, I mean, Mark loves using fresh nails. It's what he does.

How did you know him so well? And it kind of became evident in that discussion just how much we did care about Mark and Fiona. We knew such intimate details. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was, yeah, I i mean for how long they were laughing and how much fun we were having you know everyone almost forgot that we'd stripped the room of all the furniture and there was nowhere to sit down it was a pretty physically uncomfortable afternoon

but oh yes yes i think emotionally nourishing and uh i i just can't believe i mean you know give yourself a pat on the back and i'm going to give you a pat on the back as well. Yeah, I'll give you that, yeah, Guy. No, you know, it was, and Guy and I then, we helped Mark get down, well. I mean, you can't say bended knee because he's. No, he's, we helped, kind of crouched him onto the floor, held him in our arms and then raised one arm up and he got to have his big proposal. He got to have the moment and the whole family were there to watch along.

It's a special thing to be part of. I feel I've gotten to become part of this family in the last week. Yeah, they were pretty forthcoming and, you know, it's one of those things where you hope they don't awkwardly take it back, but we got offered to be co-joint bridesmaid and best man or maid of honour. We're going to be a huge part of the big day. Yeah, which is flattering.

It really is. There were moments this week where I thought, God, Mark and Fiona, just they do not like me at all. They really... Really? Yeah. You kept that to yourself. Well, I know. They just were times, I don't know, maybe it was in my head,

but I just started feeling early on in the piece that maybe Mark, definitely Fiona weren't... Some of their behaviour, yeah. Yeah. I mean, one person's simmering hostility is another person's warm embrace, I suppose. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Every pot boils the same.

And Fiona, little did we know, is so excited. She has a full dive. She's a big-time diver. She's got her, you know, She can do a deep diving course. So guess where she is with a big smile across her face. Yes, yes. Her and Terry down there scouring the bottom of the Brooklyn River. Call it what you will.

I'm happy that people are happy. Yeah. Sorry, the Hudson. There we go. There we go. They're down there. They're having a great time. It's brought them closer together.

It's brought us into the family. I don't think this prank could have gone any better, Guy. In many respects, I'm inclined to agree. I mean, yeah, we're making good money on the website. The cameras are still up. The cameras are still rolling. And thank you if anybody here has been following the progress online. Thanks for subscribing.

Thanks for liking and being part of the magic. We don't know what will happen next to the space. And, you know, obviously the camera is just pointing at an empty white room at the moment. But that, to me, is a blank canvas. I mean, on the success of this prank, we could set up a little bootleg punked. You know, we could get different people into the room. That's true, yeah. We could prank them in different ways.

I mean, you know, I don't know what the broadcasting standards are here in America, but I think there's a few television watchers who would get a pretty big... There's a punk-shaped hole in the TV landscape, and far be it from me to put my hand up to fill it, but I think with our heads together, anything's possible. It could be a new age. It could be a whole new age, Guy. And I just want to speak about, you know, it's not just a prank, is it, Guy?

You know, this isn't just us, you know, having a laugh with a family over the course of a week, you know, poisoning them and throwing various jewels into various rivers. And, you know, it's not just about the prank. and it's not just about the prank. It's about the friendships and the relationships you form through that kind of intimacy. Yeah, you do. People band together when they're under duress. When people are put under pressure, I think, as I say, pressure makes diamonds

and you really learn a lot about yourself and the people around you. And I think they say there's a few different sort of bits of wisdom. They say you should go traveling with someone before you marry them or you should play Monopoly or just various different tells, reveals of a person's true self. And look, again, I don't want to champion ourselves too much, but I'd say another good litmus test for whether or not a marriage has what it takes would be, you know, to undergo a week of pranks

from Carlo and Guy because, you know, if you can survive that, well, there's a pretty good chance your marriage can survive anything. Yeah, well, exactly, Guy. And this is the biggest tip I would give for those of you who are looking for tips on how to be a good host or even a good guest. I would say friendships formed in the flames, you know, and flames indeed. It was certainly a conflagration here in Mark and Fiona's household this week

and we've ridden that out and it's been a real experience. It's not just them that's closer. June and Murtagh, I think, are looking at each other with a newfound kindle. It's not just Mark and Fiona's relationship that has grown stronger. That's right. The whole family have come closer together. Absolutely. closer together.

Absolutely. Sadly, Terry and Michael, you'd imagine that they would have a real twinkle in their eyes as well, but Michael has sadly, yes, Michael has passed away. Had a brain aneurysm. Yes. Totally unrelated. Totally unrelated and a very sad fact and I

I'll miss him you know I feel like I got to really get to know Michael this week I think we all will but I've actually got a pretty exciting bit of news

for you when God closes a door he opens a window and while I've actually got a pretty exciting bit of news for you. When God closes a door, he opens a window, and while Michael might no longer be with us, Fiona and Terry, I overheard them nattering away in the hallway. And I think they're going to be asking you to give Fiona away on the big day. Oh, my God.

Oh, God. I'm sorry there, Guy. Hey. Don't be afraid to cry those tears in front of me, brother. This is just, this is why we host, isn't it, Guy? You know, just, you can go and you can visit a place, you know, you can buy the postcards, you can go to all the spots, you can get on the hop on, hop off tour, but it's when you come into a house and it becomes a home, guy. That's why we do it, isn't it?

It really is. And the exciting thing is that seeing as we've got the inside track for the big day, who knows what sort of tomfoolery we can set up. If the family enjoyed a week of pranks, well, let's see how the the family enjoyed a week of pranks well uh let's see how the extended family enjoy a whole bloody wedding oh god well that's it guy that's it i mean um what more is there to say well i've set up a shell catering company and uh i recommended the catering company to the family and i started started getting a lot of emails about, you know, foods and things they want.

And you know what's funnier than poisoning three families, Carlo? What's that guy? That's poisoning three families and all of their extended families. Yes. Oh, God. And friends. Don't forget. Of course, there'll be friends.

There'll be friends there. I think maybe it could be fun to kind of find a quite run-down farm, dress it up like a really beautiful place and just fill it with almost like a Hunger Game-like level of traps and puzzles for the guests. And, you know, someone wanders off to the toilet and next minute they're fighting a live bear in a pit, you know. Well, yeah, that does sound fun.

Yeah. The possibilities are endless god that's cheered me right up well you know as uh as a holiday ends you know a new beginning begins and well i'll be sad to see you go to to know that when we put our heads together we can have such a profoundly positive impact on the world. Yes. You know, I've stayed with you. You've stayed with me. We've had our highs and our lows.

But when people work together, anything is possible. That's it, Guy. That's it. When you and I were enemies, Guy, and I'll say that word because I won't shy away from the fact. When you and I, we put ourselves up against each other, we overlooked the heart of hosting, and that is love. And we found that. We found that again, Guy. We've hammered that into something beautiful

and we've spread that love to a family. And that's the kind of thing that when you're standing out there in the Lenin Memorial and you're thinking about some of the horrors of humanity you can be reminded that just as you know just as humanity can be cruel so too can they be kind and that's the kind of thing that that brings you back to faith I hope you don't find this trite but I think you know in the interest of remembering the great man we should dedicate not just this episode but this whole season

of the podcast to Michael Michael Flanagan born 19 37 died 2019 old man.

Totally unrelated brain aneurysm from anything else that had happened during the week. No. No. Loved to laugh, loved basketball cards. He loved his family. And he loved his family.

And I don't want to speak for the guy, but I think that his last week with his family, I think, would have been pretty special to him. It's a shame he didn't get to see the end of the prank. He would have died a confused man. Yeah, it would have been baffling to him, but, you know, just from every time I would sort of look at him through the cameras weeping into his hands

or I would hear the kind of confused calls to friends and family from his hotel, in every tiny tremble of voice or flutter of a teary eye, I'd see a smile. voice or flutter of a teary eye, I'd see a smile. And I think maybe Michael, he's up there just laughing along with us. So thanks so much for listening. We hope you picked up some hot tips and tricks. If you've got any friends or family coming to stay sometime soon. And we certainly hope that you've left this season with the idea

that the spirit of humanity lives on in all of us. So if you enjoyed the podcast, please rate and review us on whatever listening app you are using. Feel free to share your comments on hosting tips of your own. That's right. It is a lifestyle podcast, but it's also an educational podcast. So any tips you might have, please put them there in the comments alongside a review. And, well, you know, it's early days yet, but I think you might be interested to hear that Carlo and I are looking at going on a little backpacking trip together.

That's right. We're heading across to – off the beaten track to Eastern Europe. And you've been to – I have indeed. I have indeed been over there, spent a lot of time, speak several Eastern European languages. I think we're in for a real treat, Guy,

because I'm excited to share that place with you and I'm excited to, in the same way you've brought me into your life here in New York, to show you a little slither of mine over there in the Eastern Falls of Europe. There's so much to look forward to. The world is a bountiful place full of kindness slither of mine over there in the eastern falls of europe there's so much to look forward to the

world is a bountiful place full of kindness and uh you know untold treasures for those brave enough to go looking for them so keep on hosting keep on riding keep on living baby you